The present invention relates to a reclinable wheelchair, which may be used to transfer a patient from a wheelchair to a bed or from a bed to a wheelchair.
Reclinable wheelchairs are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,971,482; 5,996,716; 6,003,891; and 6,158,810 disclose various wheelchairs, which focus on reclining or tilting a patient rearward to aid in patient care. Wheelchairs provide transportation and mobility to patients, while allowing the patient to recline for comfort.
Although conventional wheelchairs provide the above-mentioned features, conventional wheelchairs have limited capabilities. For example, the process of transferring a patient from a conventional wheelchair to a bed requires great effort by the patient and/or a caregiver. Transferring a patient that cannot assist the caregiver from a bed to a wheelchair or from a wheelchair to a bed often requires more than one caregiver. Depending on the patient""s condition, the physical manipulation required by one or more caregivers to move a patient between a wheelchair and a bed can be dangerous to both the patient and the caregiver(s). Wheelchairs, such as those disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. patents, which simply recline the seat back or tilt the back and seat together, do not lessen the danger or ease the difficulty associated with the patient transfer process.
What is needed in the art is a wheelchair, which provides a simple, safe, and cost-effective way of transferring a patient from a wheelchair to a bed and vice versa. What is also needed in the art is wheelchair and bed combination, which simplifies the patient transfer process and enhances the safety of the process.
The present invention is directed to a reclinable wheelchair that facilitates the transfer of a patient from the wheelchair to a bed and from a bed to the wheelchair. The wheelchair has a number of features, which allows a patient to safely move from the wheelchair to a bed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the wheelchair is capable of locking to the side of a bed, placing the patient in a supine position, so that the patient can roll or slide onto the bed.
The present invention is also directed to a method of transferring a patient from a wheelchair to a bed and from a bed to a wheelchair in a manner that is safe for both the patient and a caregiver, if present. The method may be practiced in hospitals, nursing homes, personal care homes, or private homes.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and the appended claims.